urbanSTL

DogtownBnR wrote: ↑

Apr 29, 2020

Gerard Craft just said on Fox 2 that he expects St. Louis to lose 50% of its restaurants because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ouch!!!! That sucks.... Not surprising though.

STL.G.Unit wrote: ↑

Apr 29, 2020

It's sad to lose a storied institution like Tony's from Downtown, but I'm really not surprised.  They were a bit slow to adapt to the modern fine diner's tastes IMHO.  Also, I went to Anthony's bar next door a couple years ago and I wanted to like it, but the vibe was just weird.  I think they need a reincarnation and hope they find success in Clayton.  

I expect to see a significant shuffle of restaurants with the Covid pandemic and hopefully we'll see a rebirth of great new concepts downtown after it all blows over.  

sc4mayor wrote: ↑

Apr 29, 2020

I never went to Tony's when it was downtown...I honestly didn't even know it was still there.  I won't go to it in Clayton either...and I live in Clayton.

He could also provide these details of most every person who has ever worked there, such as Rico Lonati their butcher for 40 years…and they still have a full-time butcher on staff, or Herbie Cray, who was with Tony’s for 25 years. He was a master at walking up the steps backwards as he led diners to the second floor dining room at the old location, which before it closed had expanded from the original small, simple storefront eatery with tin ceiling and linoleum floor to a complex of six connected buildings and a private parking lot. Vince’s brother Anthony, who started Anthony’s in the Equitable Building 35 years ago, also had mastered the art of going up those stairs in reverse fashion.

Today among many other loyal and dedicated employees there’s Richard Brown, valet for 17 years and Ken Bollewark, manager of the dining room with over 30 years tenure. Vince listed many, many more loyal and dedicated employees from then and now, such as Donnie Bond who supervises private parties and sous chef Gerard Germaine, but to Vince’s dismay, we just don’t have room to list them all. In these times there are few restaurants or businesses of any type that can boast of having employees who’ve been with them with them for such great periods of time. It’s yet another Tony’s secret.

If it were up to Vince, Tony’s would still be located on the east side of the 800 block of N. Broadway, but the city fathers felt this property was more important for the development related to the Cervantes Convention Center and Trans World Dome so Tony’s needed to move. The question on the minds of many was would Tony’s move to Clayton or West County? These far away environs didn’t have a hope, as Vince would never desert the downtown he so dearly loves. Even though they are long gone he felt both the soul of the vibrant environment of the past and the promise of new development. Seventeen years ago Tony’s made the move to the old Brooks Brothers Clothiers space in the Equitable Building at the southeast corner of S. Broadway and Market St.. He and Anthony were back together again. Vince’s devotion to downtown was again recently proven when he opted not to move to the Busch’s Grove property on Clayton Road.